That was a hidden waterway concealed behind towering mountains. The sheer cliffs were rarely scaled by anyone, and no one would have imagined that beyond them lay a river cutting through the mountain range—a route to leave the capital undetected.
Gu Qingzhi enjoyed climbing mountains to gather fragrant spices or search for rare flowers and plants. By chance, she once reached the summit and nearly fell. Later, Xiao Changqing found a branch snagged with a piece of her clothing and assumed she had fallen from there. He swiftly descended to search for her. When no trace was found on the mountain, he took a bamboo raft to scour the waters, accidentally discovering this secret waterway.
Very few knew of this passage. In recent days, Xiao Changqing must have employed numerous tricks to disperse Xiao Huayong’s men, then covertly secured a route. Without this hidden waterway, his only option would have been to choose a path to mislead Xiao Huayong, making him certain it was the sole feasible choice.
Shen Xihe initially turned to seek out Xiao Huayong but quickly composed herself. It was likely that Xiao Changqing was monitoring Xiao Huayong’s every move.
After nodding slightly to Xiao Changqing in acknowledgment, she returned to her room and immediately summoned Mo Yuan, instructing him to ride back at full speed under the pretext of retrieving an item she had left behind.
While Xiao Huayong was in the capital, Xiao Changqing dared not act rashly, which was why he had set out today. To avoid detection, he was traversing mountains and ridges with Ye Wantang in tow, so their progress would likely be slow. If Mo Yuan hurried, he might still intercept them in time.
"Your Highness, what has happened?" Zhenzhu asked, observing Shen Xihe standing by the window gazing at the moon, as she moved the candlestand closer.
Since the princess had met with Prince Xin, her expression had grown grave. After dispatching Mo Yuan, she had remained silent.
"I’ve figured out how Prince Xin plans to help Xiao Changtai escape. I sent Mo Yuan to ambush them," Shen Xihe explained to her trusted aide, preferring not to withhold too much and risk unnecessary speculation and worry, which would undermine trust and understanding between master and servant.
"Your Highness, will you not inform the Crown Prince?" Zhenzhu hesitated before asking.
It wasn’t that Zhenzhu distrusted Shen Xihe or had developed reliance on Xiao Huayong. Rather, this matter had always been a covert rivalry between Xiao Huayong and Xiao Changqing, and Shen Xihe had never intervened.
"No need," Shen Xihe shook her head.
Aside from concerns that alerting Xiao Huayong might make Xiao Changqing wary, Shen Xihe was mostly uncertain how to explain to Xiao Huayong how she came to know such a secret.
Should she lie? Xiao Huayong was too clever; he would surely discern whether she spoke the truth.
Might this sow seeds of discord between them, harboring future troubles?
Revealing the truth was out of the question—she hadn’t even intended to tell her father or brother, let alone Xiao Huayong.
Yet without informing Xiao Huayong, relying solely on her own strength to ambush Xiao Changtai amid the combined forces of Xiao Changqing and Xiao Changtai held little chance of success.
Fortunately, she never expected to eliminate Xiao Changtai this time—she was merely doing her utmost.
"Your Highness, are you staying awake awaiting the outcome?" Zhenzhu inquired. "Shall I prepare some tea and snacks for you?"
"No need to trouble…"
"What are you doing here?" Before Shen Xihe could finish, Shen Yingluo’s voice sounded outside the room.
Shen Xihe and Zhenzhu hurried out to find Shen Yingluo, accompanied by Tan Shi and two maids, standing beyond the carved window on the other side of the wall, where Biyu had already arrived and blocked Gu Qingshu.This was a secluded corner outside her chamber, accessible only by passing through her room. However, Gu Qingshu's quarters were adjacent, and one could also reach this spot from her window. She had come alone, without any maids or servants.
Shen Yingluo's room faced Gu Qingshu's window. While tidying up, she happened to see Gu Qingshu leap down from the window and then crouch in that spot, remaining motionless for a long time. Shen Yingluo then brought her maid and Tan Shi over. Though separated from Gu Qingshu by a wall, she could faintly hear voices coming from Shen Xihe's room, prompting her to speak up as a reminder.
"My civet cat is lost. I heard its cries and came here," Gu Qingshu explained softly.
"I saw you jump down here from my room. I walked over from my chamber, and this place is so cramped one can hardly turn around. Why would you stay here for so long?" Shen Yingluo stood on the other side of the wall, her gaze piercing through a small opening in the wall, particularly intense in the night. "If you were looking for your civet cat, why didn't you call out to it?"
"I..." Gu Qingshu was momentarily at a loss for words. Ignoring Shen Yingluo, she turned her clear, gentle eyes to Shen Xihe. "County Lord, I truly came to look for my civet cat."
Shen Xihe glanced around. She could indeed detect the scent of Gu Qingshu's civet cat, proving that the creature had indeed scurried through here not long ago. She smiled faintly. "Looking for the civet cat is true, but eavesdropping is also true."
Gu Qingshu would not have deliberately jumped into this corner to eavesdrop. Before this, none of them had known this spot could be used for such a purpose, nor had they known what secrets the other might have.
It was likely that she had jumped down to search for her cat and happened to faintly hear Shen Xihe mention Xiao Changqing. This would have caused her to let the cat escape and remain crouched there, eavesdropping.
Gu Qingshu followed Shen Xihe's gaze to a patch of flattened grass and footprints, clearly angled toward Shen Xihe's room. Such marks would not have formed without prolonged standing. Still composed, she defended herself, "County Lord, my civet cat was trapped here earlier. I crouched here to help it free itself. It was Second Lady Shen who startled me, causing the cat to escape."
Shen Yingluo's voice had indeed startled Gu Qingshu, and the cat she had been holding had broken free and scurried away. Shen Yingluo, Tan Shi, and the maid had all witnessed this, but the truth was clearly not as Gu Qingshu described.
"You..." Shen Yingluo was about to speak when Shen Xihe raised a hand to stop her. Turning to face her through the window, Shen Xihe said, "It's late. Return to your room and rest early. We have a long journey tomorrow, and the heat will make it difficult to catch up on sleep in the carriage."
As the elder sister, Shen Yingluo would not contradict Shen Xihe in front of others. Moreover, she understood Shen Xihe's methods better than anyone else. She complied obediently and left with Tan Shi and the maid.
Only after they had gone did Shen Xihe turn to Gu Qingshu. "Liyang County Princess, this is the first and last time. Do not let it happen again."
Leaving these words spoken lightly, Shen Xihe returned to her room with Biyu and Zhenzhu, paying no further attention to Gu Qingshu.
As all the young ladies were of noble status, guards were inconveniently stationed inside the chambers. Moyu had returned to the capital with Mo Yuan, leaving only Ziyu, Biyu, and Zhenzhu to attend closely to Shen Xihe. Hongyu had remained in the capital to oversee the Living-Alone Pavilion.
Inevitably, there were bound to be oversights.
"County Lord, could she have heard..." Zhenzhu worried."So what if they heard?" Shen Xihe didn't care. "It's too late even if they know now."
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